Well, the Congress does not ratify amendments to the Constitution, the States do. If you wish to blame someone for the failure of the ERA, then place the blame properly, with the States - more specifically, with the voters. It's my feeling that the Amendment failed because because it was deemed unnecessary. The Constitution already explicitly grants the same rights to all Men ("...All men are created equal and endowed with certain inalienable rights..."); with the term "men" here taking on the same meaning as "person", irrespective of gender.